What drove doctor Wang to murder

Both doctors were married with children. One took the other’s life as revenge for getting fired.

We don’t here of doctor’s “going postal” for a variety of reasons. This one, however, broke with the culture of medicine, and decided to take a life.

At some point, Dr. Wang started his internship with the Department of Medicine at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.

Sometime during his internship or residency, Dr. Wang and Dr. Toor, who at the time was the chief resident of the department of Medicine. had a conforntation. “The suit accused Dr. Toor of chastising Dr. Wang for not being reachable for hours while on duty. That led to a confrontation in which Dr. Toor informed hospital officials Dr. Wang had threatened him.” “The Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center said in court documents that Dr. Wang had “acted in an abusive manner towards Dr. Toor.””

“In 2008, he was fired. In Dr. Wang’s lawsuit, he claimed that he was fired in 2008 in part because of his Chinese nationality and that several doctors who were not Chinese had mistreated him and other Chinese residents. In May 2008, a week after the confrontation with Dr. Toor, Dr. Wang was suspended. In July, the hospital terminated him.”

“Dr. Wang did not attend a hearing to contest the termination, according to his union, the Committee of Interns and Residents, which had recommended counseling. He did complain to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but in May 2009, the commission dismissed Dr. Wang’s claims of discrimination. He filed his lawsuit against the hospital two months later.”

In July of 2009, Dr. Wang filed a wrongful termination suit against the hospital. The suite cited a confrontation with Dr. Toor.

Dr. Lishan Wang carried three handguns and information on 3 former coleagues, all of whom were involved in his dismissal.

Around 8 a.m. Dr. Wang shot and killed Dr. Vajinder Toor, as he walked to his car just after saying goodbye to his pregnant wife and 3-year-old son. He then shot at Dr. Toor’s wife, when she ran out of her house to confront him.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Mental Illness

The hospital might have unwittingly hired someone with a mental illness. It is not a crime to do so, however. Doctors who have a mental illness that is well controlled are allowed to go to residency programs and practice. However, if their illness is not controlled, or they don’t recognize they have an ilness, then there can be a problem.

There was definitely something wrong with Dr. Wang. When he was arrested, police found 3 handguns, a 1,000 rounds of ammunition, information on other former colleagues, a hammer, a knife, and a wig. Noone having a stable mind would 1) kill someone else 2) put together such an elaborate scheme.

“Dr. Wang did not attend a hearing to contest the termination, according to his union, the Committee of Interns and Residents, which had recommended counseling. He did complain to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but in May 2009, the commission dismissed Dr. Wang’s claims of discrimination. He filed his lawsuit against the hospital two months later.”

Personal Failure

Systems Failure

Discrimination
In Dr. Wang’s lawsuit, he claimed that he was fired in 2008 in part because of his Chinese nationality and that several doctors who were not Chinese had mistreated him and other Chinese residents.

Communication failure
Dr. Wang, who is a Chinese national from Beijing and a permanent resident of the United States since 2004, stood with a Mandarin interpreter and two public defenders

HOW CAN WE PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING?

So what is the solution or ways that we can prevent this?

I think there are safeguards. Medical students are taught professionalism. At UCSF, for example, here is what they expect their graduates to know.

When medical students apply for residency, they are also sharing whether they have had any professionalism stuff against them.

It is important that foreign medical graduates also have these in their application too.